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Wednesday, March 11, 2020

WIAA Statement on Tournament Status

The WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament and the boys basketball sectionals scheduled for this week are continuing as planned.

The WIAA Executive Staff has been in continuous discussions with local and state health officials and organizations, as well as other high school associations in the Midwest. ﻿We continue to look at all the medical evidence and breaking information regarding COVID 19 to make the best decision possible with the information available to us.

﻿While circumstances may change, all of the leading health resources we have been working with indicate the best way to proceed is to be overcautious and reinforce the universal guidance and precautions to know your health risk, especially those at higher risk for severe illness; wash hands repeatedly with soap or sanitizer; cover your sneeze or cough; keep hands away from your face; and if you feel sick, stay at home.

We will continue to monitor any new information, and if anything changes with our Tournament Series events, we will issue a statement.

BACKGROUND

Information has been changing daily and we have been keeping updated as much as possible. The WIAA is continuously monitoring the public health developments regarding COVID-19, or, coronavirus.

At this time, we have discussed options for continuing to conduct the WIAA Basketball State Tournaments. The staff at the Resch Center has been diligently working to ensure that the 2020 WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament can be conducted in a safe environment.

Obviously increasing all of their cleaning efforts. This includes all departments

Wiping down all areas with disinfectants

Providing hand sanitizers for all of our staff working the event

Providing hand sanitizers available to the public and all of our restrooms will make sure all of our restrooms have hot water and soap

Concessions taking extra care with wiping down all counters and equipment

Overnight staff will be cleaning all confined spaces—locker rooms, elevators, meeting rooms will all be sanitized

Allowing and promoting if patrons want to bring in their own hand sanitizers or Purell

Major signage in the venue both static and electronic with messages provided by the CDC

At this time, we have discussed options for continuing to conduct the WIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament. We will continue discuss all options.

While we hear that universities and colleges have been closing their campuses, it is important to keep in mind that their student populations include international students who are returning to campus from spring break and countries which may have been infected more. In addition, those students are being quarantined as they return.

Dane County Public Health is not recommending closing schools at this time. School closures have significant negative impacts on our community. We have provided schools with planning information about how to stay open safely. If a school has a student or staff member who has tested positive for coronavirus, they will work with Public Health Madison & Dane County to determine the best course of action. Below are considerations Dane County Public Health has for keeping schools open:

• Children are not known to get seriously ill from COVID-19

Closing schools may not be effective because some children may congregate anyway, at other locations

Many parents, such as healthcare workers, need to be at work. If these critical workers stay home with children it causes significant impacts on the healthcare system and other institutions that are essential for our community to function

If schools close, some children might have to stay home with alternative caregivers, such as elders, who are more vulnerable

We don't know how effective children are in spreading this disease

People at higher risk for severe illness should stay home and away from large groups as much as possible. This includes public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others. People at higher risk include: People 60 and older

People with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes

People who have weakened immune systems

People who are pregnant

Wisconsin has now seen three confirmed cases of COVID-19. And with more testing facilities online, we can expect to see more cases. Identifying cases allows DHS and our local partners to move quickly to isolate a case and contain spread of the virus.

People should follow simple steps to avoid getting sick, including:

Know your personal health situation.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Stay home when you are sick.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the immediate health risk in the United States is low for the general public.

Background information gathered from various sources includiing, but not limited to the CDC, Dane County Public Health, Wisconsin Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.